About the Book

In a wild country, the true cost of love may be more than they can bear

Beautiful and winsome, Betsy Zook never questioned her family’s rigid expectations, nor those of devoted Hans—but then she never had to. Not until the night she’s taken captive in a surprise Indian raid. Facing brutality and hardship, Betsy finds herself torn between her pious upbringing and the feelings she’s developing for a native man who encourages her to see God in all circumstances.

Greatly anguished by Betsy’s captivity, Hans turns to Tessa Bauer for comfort. She responds eagerly, overlooking troubling signs of Hans’s hunger for revenge. But if Betsy is ever restored to the Amish, will things between Hans and Tessa have gone too far?

Inspired by true events, this deeply layered novel gives a glimpse into the tumultuous days of prerevolutionary Pennsylvania through the eyes of two young, determined, and faith-filled women.

I’m a huge fan of Amish romance novels. I can’t put them down. When I agreed to read and review The Return by Suzanne Woods Fisher, I expected the typical Amish romance novel. The Return was very different. I didn’t know it is the third book in a series called Amish Beginnings. I had no idea it is considered historical fiction, inspired by true events. You’ll recognize colonial historical figures mentioned in the book, intertwined into the lives of the characters. I have always enjoyed colonial history, but I never thought I would learn so much about this time period in an Amish novel. I learned more about the relationships between certain Indian tribes and the settlers of the era. I learned more about the role John Elder played in that time period. I didn’t know much about the Conestoga Indians or the famous Conestoga wagon until I read The Return. When you read this book, you’re likely to learn some new facts about colonial history while you enjoy the story.

The Return keeps you interested in the development of several love stories at the same time. You’ll expect some stories to follow the paths they do, but you might be surprised at the direction of others.

This Amish story is not the typical Amish romance but it is well worth the read. You can get your copy here.

About the Author

Suzanne Woods Fisher is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than two dozen novels, including Anna’s Crossing and The Newcomer in the Amish Beginnings series, The Bishop’s Family series, and The Inn at Eagle Hill series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace and The Heart of the Amish. She lives in California. Learn more at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and follow Suzanne on Twitter @suzannewfisher.

Guest Post from Suzanne Woods Fisher

The Three Sisters’ Garden: Corn, Squash & Beans!

Corn was a new food to the immigrants to the New World, introduced to them by Native Americans. Soon, it became an essential part of their daily diet, in one form or another. Growing it brought yet another new discovery: companion planting in the form of the Three Sisters’ Garden.

According to Iroquois legend, corn, squash and beans were three inseparable sisters who only grew and thrived together. 18th century Native Americans wouldn’t have understood the science behind why companion planting worked, but they knew it did. Beans, like all legumes, have bacteria living on their roots that help them absorb nitrogen from the air and convert it to a form that plants can use. Corn, which requires a lot of nitrogen to grow, benefits from the legumes and provides a pole support for the beans to climb. Low growing squash leaves shade the soil and prevent weed growth. Their sharp and prickly leaves deter pests. This tradition, of planting corn, beans and squash in the same mounds, became a sustainable system to provide long-term soil fertility among Native American tribes that farmed.

The wisdom of planting Three Sisters’ Garden was adopted by the immigrants, including our own Betsy Zook from The Return. Betsy learned of the technique while a captive among a tribe of Indians and later, after she had been returned to the Amish, shared her knowledge with Anna and Bairn.

Have you ever considered growing a Three Sisters’ garden? All you need is the right kind of seeds, a mound of dirt in a sunny spot, and to not forget to water. Mother Nature will do the rest.

Suzanne Woods Fisher is a bestselling, award-winning author of novels about the Old Order Amish. Her interest in the Plain People began with her grandfather, who was raised as a Dunkard (German Baptist) on a farm in Pennsylvania. Suzanne loves to connect with readers! You can find her on-line at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com.

Young children use their senses to explore the world around them. They love touching objects, feeling the various textures as they try to make sense of them. According to Sally Fitzgerald, a Good Start Early Learning Senior Occupational Therapist, sensory play is crucial for brain development. Sensory play “helps children build nerve connections in the brain’s pathways.” We love the Baby’s Very First Touchy Feely Animals Book because it provides an opportunity for sensory play for our youngest little readers.

We love our Baby’s Very First Touchy Feely Animals Book – Photos of book pages taken by Tina Truelove.

The Touchy Feely Animals book is just the right size for little hands. Babies and toddlers can hold the book in their hands or laps. They have no trouble turning the pages of this adorable little board-book.

The pages are easy for babies and toddlers to hold and turn. Photo Credit – Tina Truelove

Each page offers an opportunity for the little reader to touch and feel a different texture.

Soft and Fluffy – Photos of book pages taken by Tina Truelove.

This little lamb feels soft and fluffy.

Bumpy Frog – Photos of book pages taken by Tina Truelove.

This frog feels bumpy.

While children touch and feel all the fun textures, they’ll also enjoy reading about some of their favorite animals such as a shiny fish, a soft bunny rabbit, a hairy dog, and several others.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Grandpa Hugs by Laura Neutzling . . . what a sweet book for children! Both of my grandfathers passed away a long time ago. I loved them both dearly and I miss them every single day. Grandpa Hugs brought back a lot of sweet memories of them. This cute little book is about the things children do with their grandpas. They visit their favorite places, enjoy ice cream together, and laugh at jokes. They take walks, play games, read, and pray together. The characters in the book are all animals. Children who read this book will enjoy watching bunnies, monkeys, elephants, sheep, giraffes, tigers, owls, dogs, bears, and even wolves make memories with their grandpas. Grandpa Hugs is a great book for grandfathers to keep at home to read with their grandchildren when they come to visit. Parents who read this book to their children should find it as a useful tool for teaching children to love, honor, and respect their grandfathers.

Grandpa Hugs is a new 2017 publication. It is a durable board book so it should last through lots and lots of book-loving. It is well illustrated with appealing soft colors by Cee Biscoe.

My in-home daycare children love it and I’m sure your kids will love it too. Get your copy by clicking the link below.

I’ve created a few printables to go along with the book. If you have children who are learning to read, you will find the vocabulary cards helpful. This book is intended for toddlers, but my 4 year old kids enjoyed it too. My older kids were the inspiration for the vocabulary cards and the graph below. I made 10 cards using different words that were used in the book and also 10 cards using the names of the animal characters in the book. If you like, you can print out two sets of the cards, lay them face-down, and play a concentration game.

Grandpa Hugs Vocabulary Flash Cards

Grandpa Hugs Animal Flash Cards

I created a little class graph for my kids to color. In my small group, I told each child to color one box that describes his or her favorite thing to do with his or her grandpa. Their choices were: church, Grandpa’s house, ice cream shop, library, and the toy store. They had a hard time choosing just one thing so I let them color in more than one. My little crew loves spending time with their grandpas! If you choose to download the printable, I’ve included a blank copy of this graph for your kids to color.

Grandpa Hugs Class Graph

Click the link below to download the free printable which includes 20 vocabulary cards and a blank copy of the graph above.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Love Letters from God: Bible Stories for a Girl’s Heart by Glenys Nellist is a collection of Bible stories about 14 different women from the Bible. Girls will learn important lessons based on Biblical principles from these women’s stories. Each story contains a Bible verse and is written for girls between the ages of 4 and 8.

The first Bible story is titled “The First Girl.” Girls learn that God created Eve and that she was good. They read about how Eve was deceived by the serpent in the Garden of Eden. The important lesson for a girl’s heart in this story is that even though she makes mistakes, God’s love and forgiveness is always available to her. Eve still had to leave the garden but God provided clothing for her. The bad choices we make might result in negative consequences, but God still loves us. At the end of the story, girls can open a flap, like opening a letter from God. Under the flap is a message for young lady readers.

At the end of the book, there is a page for girls to write a letter to God.

Photo Credit – Tina Truelove

Photo Credit – Tina Truelove

Love Letters from God offers girls the opportunity to get to know 14 great women of the Bible from whom they learn valuable life lessons. Each story offers the scripture passage where the Bible story is found.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Reading faith based books with children is a great way to instill Godly values and character into them at an early age. God Loves Mommy and Me by Bonnie Rickner Jensen is an adorable little board book for babies/toddlers and mommies to read together. In this cute little book, children read about meaningful things mommies and children can do together such as pick dandelions, splash in the rain, and play on playgrounds. Children learn that we all make mistakes and that it is important to forgive. They learn to pray and to thank God for his goodness. The last page stresses that no matter what we do, we are always precious in the sight of God.

The book is well made and durable. It was published this year (2017) by Thomas Nelson. God Loves Mommy and Me is illustrated by Laura Watkins.

The illustrations are colorful and appealing. On some pages, children will find additional things to count or discuss such as lady bugs and butterflies crawling on the tree branches, bumble bees buzzing around, a little duck waiting his turn to play, and carrots dangling from the ceiling. Children might enjoy counting the critters as they read through the book.

Amish Wanderer by Laura V. Hilton – This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review. Image Used by Permission by Laura V. Hilton via Celebrate Lit.

Amish Wanderer by Laura V. Hilton

If you’ve been with me for a little while, you’ve probably discovered my love for Amish books. I’ve always been interested in the Amish culture. When I read Amish books, I get lost in the stories and for a little while, I get to be part of their communities, part of their families . . . part of the Amish culture. Amish Wanderer by Laura V. Hilton is my latest adventure into an Amish story.

The story is set in Jamesport, Missouri. Bethany Weiss is a young girl who can’t get out of town soon enough. As a young woman in her early 20s, she’s suffered enough rejection for a lifetime. Her father, the bishop, is in a mental hospital after committing a crime which hurt the community and “poured more salt” in Bethany’s still-fresh wounds.

One day, Bethany finds a “stray” in her barn. At first, she thinks he is her abusive suitor, perhaps out jail. Instead, the “wanderer” turns out to be her old boyfriend, Silas Beiler.

Will this “wanderer” in her barn mean a new life for Bethany or will it mean more pain to sting her ever-freshly wounded soul?

Silas has a colorful past of his own. Did he grow up to be a man molded by the reputation of his family? Will he hurt Bethany in the unthinkable way that her abusive suitor has? Or, has he grown up to be an honorable man of God who will cherish Bethany?

Will Bethany find her way out of town – out of the circle of hurt that constantly surrounds her, leaving her to a hopeless future?

Will Bethany and Silas heal from their haunted past, their troubled present, to find a happy future together?

All the answers are within the pages of this highly recommended novel, Amish Wanderer by Laura V. Hilton.

About the Author

Image Used by Permission by Laura V. Hilton via Celebrate Lit.

Laura V. Hilton

Amish fiction lovers responded positively and immediately to Laura V. Hilton’s debut novel, Patchwork Dreams, when she burst on the scene in 2009 with her unique series, The Amish of Seymour, set in the tiny town of Seymour, in Webster County, Missouri. Fans of the genre immediately recognized Hilton’s insider knowledge, not only of the Webster County community, but Amish culture in general. Her natural speech and writing patterns, she says, are uniquely “Amish,” acquired from her Amish maternal grandparents. The Amish of Seymour, includes Patchwork Dreams, A Harvest of Hearts, and Promised to Another. Her second series, The Amish of Webster County, is comprised of Healing Love, Surrendered Love, and Awakened Love. A stand-alone title, A White Christmas in Webster County, was released in September 2014. The Amish of Jamesport includes The Snow Globe,The Postcard and The Birdhouse. In spring 2016 she released The Amish Firefighter with the setting in Jamesport, MO, the same as for The Amish Wanderer.

Laura is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and a professional book reviewer. Laura and her husband, Steve, have five children, whom Laura homeschools. The family makes their home in Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas.

Guest Post from Laura Hilton

I didn’t intentionally set out to write an Amish story loosely based on a true story. If fact, when people asked me if I would write my maternal grandparents’ story, I told them no.

But when time came to write Bethany’s story, all I knew was a short paragraph blurb about it. Bethany and her once-upon-a-time boyfriend Silas who left that particular Amish district and her before their relationship became serious. I didn’t know their backstories, really, and had no idea how the story would proceed. And since I don’t plot, I spend a lot of time praying about the story, because really, I want to write what He says to write. He knows who He wants it to reach.

So I sat down to pray about it. And God gave me a verse. Which is unusual at the beginning of the story. Usually, for me, it’s at the middle when God reveals His theme for the book. But this time, it was at the beginning. The verse is:

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 (KJV)

And the verses caused more prayer. What am I supposed to do with it?

I was driving to Melbourne (Arkansas, not Australia) to pay property taxes and get my vehicle tags renewed, listening to the radio as we (my three daughters and I) drove down Larkin Road (that’s not the real name, just what everyone calls it—we have a lot of those around here: Day Road, Moko Road, etc—because there are ghost towns on these roads so they are called by the name of the ghost town). A song came on the radio and I don’t remember the name of it, or even who the singer was, but when I arrived in Melbourne, I had the opening line to my story.

The sky is falling and I’m searching for somewhere to hide.

I’m sure the people at the county clerk’s office might have been a little concerned about the state of my mental health when they saw the words scribbled at the top of my bill. I did get a strange look. I didn’t offer an explanation. And they didn’t ask.

When I got home, I started writing and paying close attention to Bethany’s mental clues (and Silas’s) to figure out what their stories were. And how they tied into the verse God had given me.

And then, without even realizing it until it hit, I knew who’s story I was writing.

My grandmother’s. My grandfather’s.

Except they are different. My grandmother wasn’t date raped. It was a member of her own family. And she wasn’t in love with my grandfather. She just discovered he was leaving the Amish and she wanted—needed—to escape.

Neither were Christians at the time. My grandfather was saved on his death bed. My grandmother’s youngest child was a teenager when she was saved. My mother, her sister, and all their girlfriends went to a tent meeting for a United Brethren Church and my grandmother attended one of the meetings with her daughters and was saved as a result. And their testimonies ultimately led to the salvation of my uncle and my grandfather.

Both of my grandparents had a lot of issues to work through as to why God allowed the bad things in their lives to happen. That they eventually came to Christ is a miracle but I’m glad they did, as I was raised in a Christian home.

Why does God allow bad things to happen to people? The short, pat answer is: because sin entered the world. Yes, God could stop them. But what if He uses the bad thing to refine a person’s faith, to draw them closer to Him as a result?

How a person reacts to the bad things directly ties in to how they affect them. In my story, Silas chose to trust God even though he feared for his life. No, he didn’t like what had happened, but even though he didn’t see how, he trusted God was working behind the scenes to bring Silas to where he needed to be, spiritually and physically. On the other hand, Bethany believed God had rejected her. Pushed her away and didn’t care about her. If He didn’t care for her, why should she care about Him? So she went into a stand-off with God.

The lessons ultimately learned, for both my grandparents and my characters, brought them to their knees before the living and holy God who was, and is, and is to come. And I trust God will use this story to help a reader out there who might be questioning something terrible that happened in their life.

You might not see how now and may not know why until eternity, but God has this. Keep praying. Keep trusting. Keep believing.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 (KJV)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I have always believed it is important to teach children to pray as early as possible. As soon as they start learning to speak, they can learn how to pray. My parents taught us to repeat a sweet little prayer every night before bedtime. I taught my children that same prayer when they were young toddlers, but then I realized that I didn’t just want them to learn to repeat prayers. I wanted them to learn to pray their own prayers so I started teaching them to talk to the Lord. I taught them to tell Him what was on their hearts. Looking back, I think both methods are helpful when teaching children to pray.

There is another way to teach children to pray. Jesus gave us an example of how to pray in Matthew 6:9-13. This passage of scripture is called The Lord’s Prayer.

Pray, then, in this way:

Our Father who is in heaven,Hallowed be Your name.Your kingdom come.Your will be done,On earth as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread.And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Rick Warren has written a children’s book about The Lord’s Prayer. I think the book is a great resource for teaching children how to pray.

The Lord’s Prayer by Rick Warren – Photo Credit – Tina Truelove

As you can see by the photo above, the illustrations are great. There is a place on this page at the beginning of the book for an adult to write who the book is from if it is given as a gift.

The Lord’s Prayer by Rick Warren – Photo Credit – Tina Truelove

On one page, Mr. Warren features a verse from the Lord’s Prayer found in the book of Matthew. On the next page, he provides a child friendly description of what that verse means.

The Lord’s Prayer by Rick Warren – Photo Credit – Tina Truelove

In The Lord’s Prayer by Rick Warren, children read each line of scripture from the King James Version. Then, with child-friendly language and appealing illustrations by Richard Jesse Watson, the popular scripture passage is made more relatable to kids.

I think the book is definitely a useful tool for teaching children how to pray. If you’re interested in a obtaining a copy for your child’s library, you will find it here.

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